EP20K160EQC208-3N - 160K Gates APEX 20KE FPGA, 208-PQFP | Altera
MPN: EP20K160EQC208-3N ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $78.5 | $78.50 |
| 10 | $72.1 | $721.00 |
| 100 | $64.8 | $6,480.00 |
| 500 | $58.2 | $29,100.00 |
| 1,000 | $52.4 | $52,400.00 |
EP20K160EQC208-3N Overview
A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a type of programmable logic device (PLD) that allows designers to implement arbitrary digital logic through user-defined configuration rather than fixed silicon. Within the broader semiconductor taxonomy, an FPGA sits under programmable logic -> programmable logic device -> logic IC -> integrated circuit. The APEX 20KE family is positioned for system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) integration, where multiple functional blocks are consolidated into a single device, eliminating the need for separate glue logic, memory, and interconnect chips. The "E" suffix denotes an enhanced variant of the original APEX 20K line, with extended embedded memory capacity and additional I/O standards.
Key specifications of the EP20K160EQC208-3N include 81,920 bits of embedded memory, 640 macro cells, 143 user I/Os, and propagation delay of 1.55 ns. The "-3" speed grade indicates the slowest of three commercial speed grades offered in this family, while the "N" suffix indicates a lead-free / Pb-free assembly. The device supports in-system programmability through the IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface and configuration via Altera's serial or parallel configuration schemes. The 208-BFQFP package provides a gull-wing surface-mount footprint with 143 usable I/O pins distributed around the periphery.
Typical applications for the EP20K160EQC208-3N include telecommunications line cards, industrial control and automation systems, ASIC prototyping, glue-logic consolidation in legacy designs, and DSP co-processing. Because the part is mature and widely second-sourced in the secondary market, it is often found in long-lifecycle industrial, military, and aerospace programs that have already locked the design. Designers should note that the APEX 20KE family has been designated Obsolete by Intel PSG — new designs should consider Cyclone or MAX series devices.
This page synthesizes distributor stock, second-source availability, drop-in speed-grade variants, and practical design notes that are not consolidated on a single manufacturer or distributor page. The intent is to give a procurement engineer or design-in engineer the complete picture in one read.
Drop-in alternatives for EP20K160EQC208-3N — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with EP20K160EQC208-3N (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Series, Speed Grade.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EP20K160EQC208-2N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQC208-1N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQC208-3
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQI208-3N
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EP20K160EQC208-3N Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Family | APEX 20KE |
| Series | EP20K160 |
| Device Logic Elements | 6,400 |
| System Gates | 160,000 |
| Number of Macros | 640 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 81,920 |
| Number of User I/Os | 143 |
| Maximum Internal Frequency | 323 MHz |
| Propagation Delay | 1.55 ns |
| Process Technology | 0.22 µm CMOS |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0 °C to 85 °C (TJ) |
| Package Type | 208-BFQFP (PQFP, gull-wing) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Speed Grade | -3 (commercial) |
| Lead-Free (Pb-Free) | Yes (N suffix) |
| Configuration Interface | JTAG (IEEE 1149.1) + serial/parallel |
EP20K160EQC208-3N 208-bfqfp (pqfp, gull-wing) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for EP20K160EQC208-3N (208-bfqfp (pqfp, gull-wing) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for EP20K160EQC208-3N.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
EP20K160EQC208-3N is suitable for 6 applications: Telecommunications Line Cards, Industrial Control and Automation, ASIC Prototyping, Glue-Logic Consolidation, DSP Co-Processing, Legacy Industrial and Military Programs.
Telecommunications Line Cards
The EP20K160EQC208-3N fits telecommunications line-card applications because its 160K system gates and 81,920 bits of embedded memory can implement framer, mapper, and protocol-processing functions for PDH/SDH/SONET and Ethernet aggregation cards, while the 143 user I/Os drive parallel bus interfaces to network processors and PHY devices. Per the APEX 20KE datasheet, the LUT-based fabric and dual-port ESB memory allow single-chip integration of lookup tables, FIFOs, and protocol state machines that previously required separate glue-logic ASICs, reducing BOM and board area. The 323 MHz internal frequency on the -3 speed grade is adequate for 155 Mbps POS-PHY or Utopia Level-2 interconnect rates. Design trade-off: the obsolete lifecycle status means new designs should plan for a Cyclone IV E or Cyclone 10 LP migration path before volume ramp.
Recommended
Industrial Control and Automation
In industrial control platforms such as PLC backplanes, motor-control co-processors, and SCADA I/O concentrators, the EP20K160EQC208-3N provides 6,400 logic elements sufficient to implement PID loops, encoder decoding (QEP, SSI, BiSS), and Modbus/Profibus/CANopen protocol stacks alongside 143 GPIO that interface directly to 5 V or 3.3 V logic rails. The APEX 20KE family's MultiCore architecture allows designers to instantiate hard-wired state machines and 32-bit register files with deterministic timing, which is critical when the FPGA serves as a deterministic co-processor to a microcontroller. Per the Altera datasheet, the commercial 0-85 °C range covers most factory-floor enclosures, but for outdoor installations the EP20K160EQI208-3N industrial variant is the recommended drop-in. Design note: the obsolete status requires a long-term supply agreement or a planned re-spin on Cyclone 10 LP.
Recommended
ASIC Prototyping
The EP20K160EQC208-3N is well-suited for ASIC and ASSP prototyping because its 160K-gate capacity can emulate designs up to roughly 100K ASIC gates, fitting pre-silicon validation of network processors, DSP cores, and custom peripherals. The 1.55 ns propagation delay on the -3 speed grade, combined with deterministic interconnect delays, allows accurate timing characterization of the target ASIC, while JTAG-based in-system programmability enables rapid design-iteration cycles with Altera Quartus II. The 81,920 embedded-memory bits can model on-chip SRAM blocks of the target ASIC, and 143 user I/Os provide ample channels for real-world interface bring-up. Design consideration: the part is obsolete, so for production-volume prototypes a Cyclone IV or Cyclone 10 LP on a development board is now more cost-effective than the APEX 20KE.
Recommended
Glue-Logic Consolidation
The EP20K160EQC208-3N excels in legacy glue-logic consolidation where 5-10 discrete 74-series TTL/CMOS chips, address decoders, bus arbiters, and FIFO flags can be replaced by a single FPGA, reducing PCB area and BOM cost. Per the APEX 20KE datasheet, the device's mixed-voltage I/O banks support direct interfacing to 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5 V TTL peripherals, allowing a single chip to bridge multiple voltage domains without external level shifters. The 81,920 bits of embedded memory can absorb small FIFOs and register files that previously required separate SRAM chips, while 143 user I/Os comfortably replace 10-15 discrete logic packages. Design tip: at production volumes above 5K units, a structured ASIC or CPLD is more cost-effective, but for low-volume legacy and industrial products this part is still economical.
Recommended
DSP Co-Processing
The EP20K160EQC208-3N serves as a DSP co-processor in signal-processing subsystems by implementing custom FFT, FIR, IIR, and convolution engines alongside a host DSP or microcontroller. The 640 macro cells and 81,920 embedded-memory bits can map 16-bit multipliers, shift registers, and coefficient tables in single-chip form, offloading compute-intensive kernels from the host CPU and freeing it for control and protocol tasks. The APEX 20KE family's MultiCore architecture, with both LUT logic and embedded system blocks, supports mixed data-path and control logic in the same fabric. Per the datasheet, 323 MHz internal Fmax enables real-time processing of audio-bandwidth and baseband signals. Note: for new DSP co-processing designs, the Cyclone V or Cyclone 10 LP families with hard DSP blocks deliver higher performance per Watt.
Recommended
Legacy Industrial and Military Programs
The EP20K160EQC208-3N is widely deployed in long-lifecycle industrial, avionics, and military programs that locked the design around the APEX 20KE family 15-20 years ago and continue to field-replace units over multi-decade support windows. The 208-BFQFP package's gull-wing leads are repair-friendly on through-hole-like rework stations, which matters in defense sustainment depots where components are hand-replaced on legacy backplanes. The Pb-free N-assembly variant satisfies modern RoHS requirements while remaining functionally identical to the original SnPb version. Procurement guidance: lifecycle is obsolete, so buyers should secure multi-year inventory, verify each lot against the manufacturer's CoC, and budget for obsolescence-management costs. The EP20K160EQI208-3N industrial variant extends operating-temperature margin for outdoor and avionics programs.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EP20K160EQC208-3N — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EP20K160EQC208-2N | EP20K160EQC208-1N | EP20K160EQC208-3 | EP20K160EQI208-3N | EP20K160EFC484-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 208-BFQFP | 208-BFQFP - same | 208-BFQFP - same | 208-BFQFP - same | 208-BFQFP - same | 484-BGA - DIFFERENT |
| Brand | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera | Altera |
| Speed Grade | -3 | -2 (faster) | -1 (fastest) | -3 (same) | -3 (same) | -3 (same) |
| System Gates | 160K | 160K | 160K | 160K | 160K | 160K |
| Logic Elements | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 | 6,400 |
| Embedded Memory (bits) | 81,920 | 81,920 | 81,920 | 81,920 | 81,920 | 81,920 |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 85 °C (Commercial) | 0 to 85 °C (Commercial) | 0 to 85 °C (Commercial) | 0 to 85 °C (Commercial) | -40 to 100 °C (Industrial) | 0 to 85 °C (Commercial) |
| Lead-Free (N suffix) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (SnPb) | Yes | No (SnPb) |
| Lifecycle Status | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete | Obsolete |
Key Differentiators
- Lead-free (Pb-free) assembly for RoHS markets (vs EP20K160EQC208-3)
- Slowest speed grade in the family for cost optimization (vs EP20K160EQC208-2N)
- Commercial 0-85 °C temperature range for cost-sensitive markets (vs EP20K160EQI208-3N)
- 208-BFQFP package compatible with through-hole-like rework (vs EP20K160EFC484-3)
Design Notes
Estimated: The EP20K160EQC208-3N core draws 1.8 V at a typical ICCINT of approximately 200-500 mA depending on utilization, plus per-bank VCCIO at 2.5 V or 3.3 V depending on I/O standard. A 4-layer PCB with dedicated power planes for VCCINT and VCCIO is recommended, with 0.1 µF X7R bypass capacitors placed within 5 mm of every VCCINT pin and bulk decoupling of 10-47 µF tantalum or ceramic on each supply rail. Designers should budget for roughly 1-2 W of total power dissipation in a typical 50-70% utilization design.
The 208-BFQFP package's gull-wing leads have a 0.5 mm pitch with a 1.6 mm pad width, providing hand-rework-friendly clearance for prototype and field-repair environments. Designers should provide at least 3 mm of trace-to-pad clearance for inspection, and use a 4-layer stack-up with continuous ground plane on layer 2 directly under the PQFP to control return-path impedance for the 143 I/O signals. JTAG pins (TCK, TMS, TDI, TDO, TRST) require 10 kΩ pull-ups on TMS and TDI per the IEEE 1149.1 spec.
Critical: Do not confuse the EP20K160EQC208-3N (commercial, Pb-free, 208-PQFP) with the EP20K160EQC240-3N (240-pin PQFP) or the EP20K160EQI208-3N (industrial temperature). Different pin counts require different PCB footprints. Also, the -3 speed grade is the slowest commercial variant; substituting a -3 design with a -1 or -2 part is safe (faster speed grade meets all -3 timing) but the reverse is not. Lastly, do not migrate to the EP20K200 or EP20K400 families without checking I/O pinout compatibility — those are different dies.
The 208-BFQFP package has a thermal resistance θJA of approximately 25-30 °C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC test board. With typical 1-2 W dissipation, the junction temperature rises only 25-60 °C above ambient, well within the 0-85 °C commercial limit. However, in enclosed industrial enclosures with 70 °C ambient, designers should de-rate to the EP20K160EQI208-3N industrial variant. Forced-air cooling is not typically required at standard utilization levels.
Compliance Information
The 'N' suffix in EP20K160EQC208-3N designates Pb-free assembly per the original Altera Pb-free packaging specification. RoHS compliance is inferred from the Pb-free finish and the Altera product declaration at the time of manufacture. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals statements should be requested from the supplier at order time, as this part is in the obsolete lifecycle and original compliance documentation may not be re-issued.
